U.S. patent number 8,516,731 [Application Number 13/075,837] was granted by the patent office on 2013-08-27 for communication and control of accessories mounted on the powered rail of a weapon.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Prototype Productions Incorporated Ventures Two, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Eric F. Cabahug, James S. Dodd, Ben Feldman, John Schroeder. Invention is credited to Eric F. Cabahug, James S. Dodd, Ben Feldman, John Schroeder.
United States Patent |
8,516,731 |
Cabahug , et al. |
August 27, 2013 |
Communication and control of accessories mounted on the powered
rail of a weapon
Abstract
A firearm may have a plurality of power-consuming accessories
that can be attached to the weapon. In order to reduce the weight
of these power-consuming accessories, as well as the proliferation
of their batteries, the Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System
provides a common power source to power the power-consuming
accessories attached to the weapon. One or more powered rails are
provided on the handguard, which encircles the barrel of the
weapon, to provide a point of mechanical and electrical
interconnection for the power-consuming accessories to provide
quick-connect mounting and dismounting of the power-consuming
accessory, absent the use of connectors with their tethering
cables, which are susceptible to entanglement. The Weapon Accessory
Control System is provided to enable the user to control the
activation of a power-consuming accessory as well as enable
communications between the user and the accessory and among
power-consuming accessories.
Inventors: |
Cabahug; Eric F. (Fairfax,
VA), Dodd; James S. (Linden, VA), Feldman; Ben
(Reston, VA), Schroeder; John (Leesburg, VA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cabahug; Eric F.
Dodd; James S.
Feldman; Ben
Schroeder; John |
Fairfax
Linden
Reston
Leesburg |
VA
VA
VA
VA |
US
US
US
US |
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Assignee: |
Prototype Productions Incorporated
Ventures Two, LLC (Ashburn, VA)
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Family
ID: |
46197914 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/075,837 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2011 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20120144716 A1 |
Jun 14, 2012 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
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Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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12791460 |
Jun 1, 2010 |
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12689437 |
Jan 19, 2010 |
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12689436 |
Jan 19, 2010 |
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12689430 |
Jan 19, 2010 |
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12689438 |
Jan 19, 2010 |
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12689440 |
Jan 19, 2010 |
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12689439 |
Jan 19, 2010 |
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61183250 |
Jun 2, 2009 |
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61183258 |
Jun 2, 2009 |
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61145248 |
Jan 16, 2009 |
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61145216 |
Jan 16, 2009 |
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61145232 |
Jan 16, 2009 |
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61145211 |
Jan 16, 2009 |
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61145222 |
Jan 16, 2009 |
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61145228 |
Jan 16, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
42/84; 42/124;
42/72 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41G
11/003 (20130101); F41C 23/22 (20130101); F41C
27/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41A
19/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;42/84,72,124 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,430
Non-Final Office Action dated Feb. 17, 2011, 4 pages. cited by
applicant .
Third Party Submission by Michael B. Brooks dated May 12, 2011.
cited by applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,438
Final Office Action dated Oct. 5, 2011, 4 pages. cited by applicant
.
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,438
Non-Final Office Action dated Oct. 6, 2011, 10 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,438
Final Office Action dated Jul. 19, 2012, 9 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,438
Non-Final Office Action dated Oct. 11, 2011, 9 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,440
Final Office Action dated Apr. 12, 2012, 14 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/689,440
Non-Final Office Action dated Oct. 7, 2011, 10 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/791,460
Non-Final Office Action dated Oct. 6, 2011, 6 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 12/950,979
Non-Final Office Action dated Oct. 5, 2011, 11 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 13/075,857
Final Office Action dated Jul. 19, 2012, 13 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office Application U.S. Appl. No.
13/075,857 Non-Final Office Action dated Jan. 11, 2012, 10 pages.
cited by applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 13/075,880
Final Office Action dated Mar. 29, 2012, 12 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 13/075,880
Non-Final Office Action dated Dec. 22, 2011, 11 pages. cited by
applicant .
In the US Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Appl. No. 13/370,629
Non-Final Office Action dated Mar. 29, 2012, 7 pages. cited by
applicant.
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Primary Examiner: Clement; Michelle
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Patton Boggs LLP
Government Interests
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
This application is sponsored by the US Department of Defense under
Contract Numbers W15QKN-08-C-0072 and W15QKN-09-C-0045.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/791,460 filed on Jun. 1, 2010, titled
"Rugged Low Light Reflectivity Electrical Contact," which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/183,250 filed on Jun. 2, 2009, titled "Non-Reflective,
Conductive Mesh, Environmentally Robust Electrical Contacts." This
application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/689,439 filed on Jan. 19, 2010, titled
"Rifle Accessory Rail, Communication, And Power Transfer
System--Power Distribution," which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/145,228 filed on Jan.
16, 2009; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/689,430 filed on Jan.
19, 2010, titled "Rifle Accessory Rail, Communication, And Power
Transfer System," which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/145,232 filed on Jan. 16, 2009; U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/689,436 filed on Jan. 19, 2010,
titled "Accessory Mount For Rifle Accessory Rail, Communication,
And Power Transfer System--Accessory Attachment," which claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/145,216
filed on Jan. 16, 2009; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/689,437
filed on Jan. 19, 2010, titled "Rifle Accessory Rail,
Communication, And Power Transfer System--Communication," which
claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/145,248 filed on Jan. 16, 2009; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/689,438 filed on Jan. 19, 2010, titled "Rifle Accessory Rail,
Communication, And Power Transfer System--Battery Pack," which
claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/145,211 filed on Jan. 16, 2009; and U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/689,440 filed on Jan. 19, 2010, titled "Rifle Accessory
Rail, Communication, And Power Transfer System--Rail Contacts,"
which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application
Ser. No. 61/145,222 filed on Jan. 16, 2009. This application also
is related to the US patent application titled "System For
Providing Electrical Power To Accessories Mounted On The Powered
Rail Of A Weapon" and the US patent application titled "Rail
Contacts For Accessories Mounted On The Powered Rail Of A Weapon,"
both of which are filed concurrently herewith. The foregoing
applications are hereby incorporated by reference to the same
extent as though fully disclosed herein.
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent of the United States is:
1. A weapon accessory control system for providing a supply of
electrical power for use by said at least one power-consuming
accessory operatively associated with a weapon, said weapon
accessory control system comprising: a power source; at least one
powered rail, electrically connected to said power source and
extending along at least a portion of a length of a barrel of a
weapon for providing a source of electrical power to a
power-consuming accessory that is connected to said at least one
powered rail; a DC-DC converter electrically connected to said
powered rail for converting a voltage produced by said power source
and present on said powered rail to a voltage required by said
power-consuming accessory; and a power-consuming accessory
controller, electrically connected to said powered rail, for
transmitting control signals to said power-consuming accessory via
said at least one powered rail for controlling operation of said
power-consuming accessory.
2. The weapon accessory control system of claim 1 wherein said
power-consuming accessory controller comprises: a signal generator
for generating a plurality of signals, each unique to a
predetermined power-consuming accessory.
3. The weapon accessory control system of claim 2 wherein said
power-consuming accessory controller further comprises: a user
interface connected to said signal generator for enabling a user to
control the generation of said plurality of signals by said signal
generator.
4. The weapon accessory control system of claim 3 wherein said
power-consuming accessory controller further comprises: a
transceiver operatively connected to said signal generator for
coupling each of said plurality of signals to said at least one
powered rail.
5. The weapon accessory control system of claim 1 wherein said
power-consuming accessory controller comprises: a signal generator
for generating a plurality of signals, each unique to a
predetermined power-consuming accessory; a plurality of switches
connected to said signal generator for enabling a user to control
the generation of said plurality of signals by said signal
generator; and a transceiver operatively connected to said signal
generator for coupling each of said plurality of signals to said at
least one powered rail.
6. The weapon accessory control system of claim 1 wherein said
power-consuming accessory controller is mounted to, juxtaposed to,
and extending in a direction parallel to a barrel of said
weapon.
7. The weapon accessory control system of claim 1 wherein said
power-consuming accessory controller is mounted to extend in a
downward direction and perpendicular to said barrel of a
weapon.
8. A weapon accessory control system for providing a supply of
electrical power for use by said at least one power-consuming
accessory operatively associated with a weapon, said weapon
accessory control system comprising: a power source; at least one
powered rail, electrically connected to said power source and
extending along at least a portion of a length of a barrel of a
weapon for providing a source of electrical power to a
power-consuming accessory that is connected to said at least one
powered rail; and a DC-DC converter electrically connected to said
powered rail for converting a voltage produced by said power source
and present on said powered rail to a voltage required by said
power-consuming accessory.
9. The weapon accessory control system of claim 8 wherein said
weapon accessory control system is mounted to, juxtaposed to, and
extending in a direction parallel to a barrel of a weapon.
10. The weapon accessory control system of claim 8 wherein said
weapon accessory control system is mounted to extend in a downward
direction and perpendicular to a barrel of a weapon.
11. The weapon accessory control system of claim 8 further
comprising: a signal generator for generating a plurality of
signals, each unique to a predetermined power-consuming accessory
for controlling operation of said power-consuming accessory; and a
user interface connected to said signal generator for enabling a
user to control the generation of said plurality of signals by said
signal generator.
12. The weapon accessory control system of claim 11 wherein said
weapon accessory control system further comprises: a transceiver
operatively connected to said signal generator for coupling each of
said plurality of signals to said at least one powered rail.
13. The weapon accessory control system of claim 11 wherein said
user interface comprises: a plurality of switches connected to said
signal generator for enabling a user to control the generation of
said plurality of signals by said signal generator.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of electrical power
distribution and, more particularly, to an electrical power
distribution system for use with a powered rail of a weapon to
provide electric power to power-consuming accessories mounted on
the powered rail.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is a problem to reliably provide electric power to
power-consuming accessories which are mounted on a weapon in an
environmentally hostile environment. The typical adverse natural
environment includes, but is not limited to, corrosion, chemical
contamination, extreme temperatures, humidity, rain, dirt, ice, and
abrasion. The traditional approach is to have each power-consuming
accessory completely self-contained, each with its own batteries.
However, the weight of the batteries in all of the power-consuming
accessories creates an imbalance in the weapon and adds a
significant amount of weight to the weapon. That, coupled with the
cost of provisioning numerous types of batteries, renders
self-contained accessories a poor choice.
Therefore, the provision of a common power source is a preferred
solution. The common power source must have a method of
electrically connecting to the power-consuming accessory which is
operationally associated with the weapon. There are two modes of
electrically interconnecting two or more circuit elements together.
One mode of electrical interconnection is to hardwire the circuit
elements together, which renders the resultant apparatus a unitary
structure. The second mode of electrical interconnection is to use
one or more electrical contacts to interconnect the circuit
elements, thereby enabling the circuit elements to be removably
attached to each other and/or to a power source. The electrical
contacts are either mounted on mating surfaces of two elements,
coming into contact when the two elements are juxtaposed to each
other and mechanically forced together, or mounted in connectors,
which are electrically tethered to the respective elements via
cables, and joined together via locking connector shells which
house the respective set of mating electrical contacts and protect
the respective sets of contacts from the ambient environment.
The use of electrical contacts mounted on mating surfaces of two
elements is optimal for quick connect applications, but these
contacts are susceptible to contamination, which degrades
performance. The exposed contacts, therefore, must be manufactured
from a material that provides low resistivity (such as gold) even
when exposed to the hostile ambient environment.
To protect electrical contacts from hostile ambient environmental
conditions, such as outdoor applications, the electrical contacts
typically are housed in a weatherproof housing, such as a connector
shell or a weatherproof sealed box. However, the tethering
electrical cable and the connector shell are significantly more
expensive than the use of electrical contacts mounted on mating
surfaces of two elements, although they provide greater protection
from the environment, but are also less convenient for quick
connect applications.
However, these technologies fail to provide a user with control
over the operation of the power-consuming accessories, since they
simply provide electrical connection to the power source and must
rely on a power switch mounted on each power-consuming accessory to
enable the user to apply power in a binary, on/off manner to that
power-consuming accessory. The need to operate such a switch on a
power-consuming accessory is inconvenient and prevents the user
from having the ability to rapidly power-up and power-down the
power-consuming accessory. In the case of a plurality of
power-consuming accessories being mounted on the weapon, such a
power control method is cumbersome at best.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above-described problems are solved and a technical advance
achieved by the present Communication And Control Of Accessories
Mounted On The Powered Rail Of A Weapon (termed "Weapon Accessory
Control System" herein) which is adapted for use in weapons, such
as military weapons. A firearm used in military applications may
have a plurality of accessories that can be attached to the weapon,
with each accessory having a need for electric power. In order to
reduce the weight of these power-consuming accessories, as well as
the proliferation of batteries used to power these power-consuming
accessories, a common power source is used to power whatever
power-consuming accessory is attached to the weapon. A Weapon
Accessory Power Distribution System provides one or more powered
rails to provide a point of mechanical and electrical
interconnection for the power-consuming accessories to provide
quick connect mounting and dismounting of the power-consuming
accessory, absent the use of connectors with their tethering
cables, which are susceptible to entanglement. The powered rail(s)
are electrically interconnected with a power source, and a Weapon
Accessory Control System is provided to enable the user to control
the activation of a power-consuming accessory as well as enable
communications between the user and the accessory and among
power-consuming accessories.
The following description provides a disclosure of the Weapon
Accessory Power Distribution System in sufficient detail to
understand the teachings and benefits of the Weapon Accessory
Control System, which is delimited by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A-1C are illustrations of the prior art Picatinny Rail
mounted on a military style weapon, which is used to mount
accessories to the weapon as is well known in the art;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of the system architecture of a
military style weapon equipped with a Weapon Accessory Power
Distribution System;
FIGS. 3A and 3B are illustrations of a typical butt stock battery
pack of the Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System;
FIGS. 4A-4C are illustrations of the Power Distribution System
which interconnects the Battery Pack to the Powered Rail in the
Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System;
FIGS. 5A-5C are illustrations of the Handguard assembly, including
the Powered Rail, of the Weapon Accessory Power Distribution
System;
FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan and perspective views, respectively, of
two implementations of the printed circuit board used to implement
the Powered Rail, while FIG. 6C is an exploded perspective view of
a printed circuit board used to implement the Powered Rail;
FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the details of the Powered Rail
electrical interconnection;
FIGS. 8A-8C are illustrations of the typical mechanical
interconnection and electrical interconnection of a Power-Consuming
Accessory to the Handguard and Powered Rail;
FIG. 9 is a schematic of loose mesh grid disks, plain side up and
solder side up, which are used to implement the Low Reflectivity
Contact;
FIG. 10 is an illustration of a Low Reflectivity Contact soldered
to a Printed Circuit Board;
FIGS. 11A and 11B are illustrations of the light reflectivity
geometry of the Low Reflectivity Contact;
FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate side views of two implementations of
typical power-consuming accessory control modules of the Weapon
Accessory Control System; and
FIG. 13 illustrates a circuit diagram of a typical Weapon Accessory
Control System.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Definitions
Contact--One-half of a Contact Pair consisting of an electrically
conductive surface which is electrically connected to a power
source or power-consuming device.
Contact Pair--A set of two Contacts which, when brought together in
mechanical contact, complete an electrical circuit enabling the
transfer of electrical power and/or electrical signals
therebetween.
Visible Spectrum--The visible spectrum is the portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to (can be detected by)
the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of
wavelengths is called "visible light" or simply "light". A typical
human eye responds to wavelengths from about 390 nm to 750 nm. In
terms of frequency, this corresponds to a band in the vicinity of
400 THz to 790 THz.
Electrical Resistivity--Electrical Resistivity is a measure of how
strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current. A low
resistivity indicates a material that readily allows the movement
of electrical charge.
Electrical Conductivity--Electrical Conductivity (the inverse of
Electrical Resistivity) is a measure of how strongly a material
supports the flow of electric current. A high conductivity
indicates a material that readily allows the movement of electrical
charge.
Picatinny Rail
It is well known to those skilled in the art that rapid fire
firearms, utilized particularly in military operations, are
characterized by the heating of the barrel of the weapon to
relatively high temperatures. At such temperatures, the barrel
cannot be held safely by the person firing the weapon.
Consequently, a variety of handguards have been developed to shroud
the barrel of such rapid fire weapons to enable the person firing
the weapon to grip the forward portion of the weapon while
mitigating the possibility of burning the hand of the person firing
the weapon, yet also providing adequate cooling for the barrel of
the weapon.
FIGS. 1A-1C are illustrations of the prior art Picatinny Rail
mounted on a military style weapon 1, which is used to mount
accessories to the weapon as is well known in the art. The weapon 1
contains the standard components, such as receiver 2, grip 3,
barrel 4, handguard 5, 6, butt stock 7, and front sight 8. The
Picatinny Rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail (and NATO equivalent--STANAG
4694) is a bracket used on some firearms to provide a standardized
accessory mounting platform. Its name comes from the Picatinny
Arsenal in New Jersey, USA where it was originally tested and was
used to distinguish it from other rail standards at the time. The
Picatinny Rail comprises a series of ridges with a T-shaped
cross-section interspersed with flat "locking slots" (also termed
"recoil groove"). Scopes are mounted either by sliding them on from
one end of the Picatinny Rail or the other end of the Picatinny
Rail by means of a "rail-grabber" which is clamped to the Picatinny
Rail with bolts, thumbscrews, or levers, or onto the slots between
the raised sections.
With particular reference to FIGS. 1A-1C, the Picatinny Rail is
shown as integrated into handguard 5, 6, which includes a top
semi-cylindrical (C) part 11 and a bottom semi-cylindrical (C) part
12. The top semi-cylindrical part 11 is defined by a back end
having a back end ledge that engages with a slip ring and a front
end having a front end ledge that engages with the receptor cap to
retain the part 11 about the barrel 4. Similarly, the bottom part
12 is defined by a back end having a back end ledge that engages
with the slip ring and a front end having a front end ledge that
engages with the receptor cap to retain the part 12 about the
barrel 4. An accessory adapter rail 13 extends longitudinally and
upwardly from the top semi-cylindrical part 11. The handguard 5, 6
may also include accessory adapter side rails and accessory adapter
bottom rails. Thus, the Picatinny Rail is formed of a multi-faceted
(F1-F4) structure, on each facet of which accessories can be
mounted. Apertures A are provided along the length dimension L of
the Picatinny Rail to enable the barrel 4 of the weapon 1 to be
cooled by air circulation from the ambient environment.
The Picatinny Rail was originally designed for use with scopes.
However, once established, the use of the Picatinny Rail was
expanded to other accessories, such as tactical lights, laser
aiming modules, night vision devices, reflex sights, fore grips,
bipods, and bayonets. Because the Picatinny Rail was originally
designed and used for telescopic sights, the rails were first used
only on the receivers of larger caliber rifles. However, their use
has extended to the point that Picatinny Rails and accessories have
replaced iron sights in the design of many firearms, and they are
also incorporated into the undersides of semi-automatic pistol
frames and even on grips.
In order to provide a stable platform, the rail should not flex as
the barrel heats and cools; this is the purpose of the locking
slots: they give the rail considerable room to expand and contract
lengthwise without distorting its shape.
Powering the multitude of accessories used on weapons equipped with
the Picatinny Rail has been accomplished by equipping each
accessory with its own set of batteries. A significant problem with
this paradigm is that multiple types of batteries are used for
accessories, thereby requiring an extensive inventory of
replacements. In addition, the batteries, especially on high-power
accessories, add significant weight to the barrel end of the
weapon, adding strain to the user of the weapon to hold the barrel
"on target" in an "off-hand manner" without support for the
barrel.
Reticle Illumination
One example of an accessory for a weapon is a scope which includes
a reticle which can be illuminated for use in low light or daytime
conditions. The reticle is a grid of fine lines in the focus of the
scope, used for determining the position of the target. With any
illuminated low light reticle, it is essential that its brightness
can be adjusted. A reticle that is too bright causes glare in the
operator's eye, interfering with his ability to see in low light
conditions. This is because the pupil of the human eye closes
quickly upon receiving any source of light. Most illuminated
reticles provide adjustable brightness settings to adjust the
reticle precisely to the ambient light. Illumination is usually
provided by a battery powered LED, though other electric light
sources can be used. The light is projected forward through the
scope and reflects off the back surface of the reticle. Red is the
most common color used, as it least impedes the shooter's night
vision. This illumination method can be used to provide both
daytime and low light conditions reticle illumination.
Other examples of powered accessories include, but are not limited
to: tactical lights, laser aiming modules, and night vision
devices.
Weapon Equipped with Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System
FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations of the system architecture of a
military style weapon 2 equipped with a Weapon Accessory Power
Distribution System. The primary components of the basic Weapon
Accessory Power Distribution System are:
Butt Stock 21 with Battery Pack 33 (shown in FIG. 3A);
Power Distribution System 22;
Handguard 23 (optional);
Powered Rail 24; and
Powered Accessory Mounting 25 (shown in FIG. 8A).
The existing weapon 2 includes in well-known fashion an upper
receiver 101, lower receiver 102, barrel 103, muzzle 104, grip 105,
and front sight 106. While a military-style weapon is described
herein, the teachings of this application are equally applicable to
other firearms, such as handguns, fixed-mount machine guns, as well
as non-weapon based systems. The Weapon Accessory Power
Distribution System is added to this standard military-style weapon
2 as described herein.
The Handguard 23 performs the barrel shielding function as in the
Picatinny Rail noted above, but has been modified, as shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B, to accommodate the Powered Rail 24 and electrical
interconnection of the Powered Accessory Mounting 25 to the Powered
Rail 24, as described below. In particular, a combination of
Powered Rails 24 and Handguard sections 23 are attached together to
form a structure which encircles the barrel 103. The Powered Rails
24 in effect form facets around the periphery of the resultant
Handguard structure. Thus, herein the term "Handguard" is used to
represent the sections of handguard structure as well as the
well-known combination of Handguard sections and Powered Rails
which encircle the barrel 103 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. As
alternative structures, the Powered Rail 24 can be attached to a
Handguard 23 that encircles the barrel. Furthermore, there is no
requirement to use the Handguard 23 as an integral component of the
Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System, so the Handguard 23 can
be optional, with the Powered Rail(s) 24 being attached to the
weapon in some other manner, such as an upper receiver rail 101 in
FIG. 2A. For the purpose of illustrating the Weapon Accessory Power
Distribution System, the first of the above-listed configurations
is used herein.
Handguard
As noted above, the Handguard 23 was developed to shroud the barrel
103 of a rapid fire weapon 2 to enable the person firing the weapon
2 to grip the forward portion of the weapon 2 while mitigating the
possibility of burning the hand of the person firing the weapon 2,
yet also providing adequate cooling for the barrel 103 of the
weapon. Handguards find application in rifles, carbines, and fixed
mount weapons, such as machine guns. However, the Weapon Accessory
Control System can also be used in modified form for handguns, as
an accessory mounting platform and as an accessory power
source.
FIGS. 5A-5C are perspective exploded view, side view, and end view
illustrations, respectively, of the Handguard 23 assembly,
including the Powered Rail 24, of the Weapon Accessory Control
System. The Powered Rail 24, as shown as an example, includes a
series of ridges with a T-shaped cross-section interspersed with
flat "spacing slots". This version of the Handguard 23, therefore,
can be viewed as an adaptation of the existing non-powered
Picatinny Rail which involves milling slots along the length of the
mechanical accessory attachment points 23R in the upper Handguard
section (23U) and the lower Handguard section (23L) in order to
install one or more power distribution Printed Circuit Boards 60-1
to 60-4, with FIG. 5C showing an end view of the slots formed in
the various facets F1-F4 of the Handguard 23. As with the Picatinny
Rail, Apertures A are provided along the length dimension L of the
Handguard 23 to enable the barrel 103 of the weapon 2 to be cooled
by air circulation from the ambient environment. Other Powered Rail
configurations are possible, and this architecture is provided as
an illustration of the concepts of the Weapon Accessory Power
Distribution System.
One or more of the Powered Rail subassemblies (typically Printed
Circuit Boards) 60-1 to 60-4 can be inserted into the respective
slots formed in the Powered Rail 24 (on the corresponding facets
F1-F4 of the Handguard 23) thereby to enable power-consuming
accessories to be attached to the Handguard 23 of the weapon 2 via
the Powered Rail 24 on any facet F1-F4 of the Handguard 23 and to
be powered by the corresponding Printed Circuit Board 60-1 to 60-4
installed in the Powered Rail 24 on that facet.
Battery Pack
The Battery Pack can be implemented in a number of assemblies and
mounted on various portions of the weapon (such as on the Powered
Rail, or in a pistol grip, or in a remote power source, and the
like) as described in the above-noted U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/689,438 filed on Jan. 19, 2010, titled "Rifle Accessory
Rail, Communication, And Power Transfer System--Battery Pack". For
the purpose of this description, FIGS. 3A and 3B are illustrations
of a typical Butt Stock 21 with Battery Pack 33 of the Weapon
Accessory Control System. For example, a butt stock/recoil tube
battery pack assembly includes an adjustable butt stock 21, a cam
latch 32, and a removable battery pack 33. The butt stock 21 adds a
compartment to the underside of the existing lower receiver
extension (also termed "buffer tube" herein) assembly 34 which
allows the battery pack 33 to be installed and withdrawn for
removal through the rear of the rifle. The battery pack 33 mounts
on the buffer tube assembly 34 independent of the butt stock 21
which telescopes along the rifle. The butt stock 21 is adjustable
and can be extended in various multiple intermediate positions to
provide an adjustable length of the firearm, as is well known in
the art. By moving the mass of the battery rearward on the weapon,
the time required to bring the weapon to point is reduced, as well
as the time needed to "stop" the muzzle when the target is
acquired.
Power Distribution System
The Power Distribution System 22 is shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and
4A-4C as a one-piece housing 201 and ruggedized power rail
connector 202 where sealing integrity is maintained during exposure
to adverse environmental conditions. The power rail connector 202
consists of a metallic shell body, contact pin receptacle 203, with
a press fit multi-finger spring contact 204 assembled into the
contact pin receptacle 203. The multi-finger spring contact 204
provides compliance to variations in the mating pin to ensure
continuous current carrying capacity of the connection. The contact
pin receptacle 203 includes a solder tail portion for soldering
cable wires. The bottom panel insulator 205 mounts the pin
receptacles 203 with the bottom part and fitted over the connector
contact pin receptacle 203 and is sealed with a sealing compound. A
fastener 206 and retaining ring 207 are used to secure the
connector assembly into the rail pin contacts.
An electric wire is routed from the Battery Pack 33 in the Butt
Stock 21 to the Powered Rail 24. The external wiring is housed
inside a durable and impact resistant polymer shroud 108 that
conforms to the lower receiver 102. The shroud is securely retained
by a quick connect/disconnect pivot and takedown pin 111 as well as
the bolt release roll pin 109 in the trigger/hammer pins 110. The
shrouded power cable runs from the Battery Power Connector 107 at
the Battery Pack 33 to the Power Rail Connector 202. This design
provides an easy access for replacing or repairing the cable
assembly, eliminates snag hazards or interferences with the rifle
operation, and requires no modifications to the rifle lower
receiver 102 housing.
Powered Rail
The Powered Rail 24 is used to electrically interconnect a power
source (Battery Pack 33) with the various accessories mounted on
the Powered Rail 24, such that the Powered Rail 24 of the Handguard
23 provides the mechanical support for the accessory and the
Powered Rail 24 also provides the electrical interconnection. In
this example, the Powered Rail 24 is attached to and coextensive
with the Handguard 23 sections, such that the mounting of a
Power-Consuming Accessory on the Powered Rail 24 results in
simultaneous mechanical and electrical interconnection.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are top views of two versions of the printed
circuit board used to implement the Powered Rail 24, and FIG. 6C is
an exploded view of the printed circuit board used to implement the
Powered Rail 24; FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the details of the
Powered Rail 24 electrical interconnection; and FIGS. 8A-8C are
illustrations of the typical mechanical interconnection and
electrical interconnection of a Power-Consuming Accessory to the
Handguard 23 and Powered Rail 24.
As noted above, the Powered Rail 24 comprises one or more Printed
Circuit Board Assemblies (60-1 to 60-4) which are mounted in the
apertures formed in a successive plurality of locking slots on the
Powered Rails 24 to carry power to power-consuming accessories
which are mounted on the Powered Rail 24 at various locations. The
Printed Circuit Boards (60-1 to 60-4) are soldered to electrically
conductive busses 72, 74. In addition, a conductive pin connector
includes a terminal portion at one end which is pressed into the
mating hole (not shown) in the interconnect electrical bus 72.
Retaining clips 71 are manufactured from resilient metallic spring
material, which are anchored on the upper rail connector 75, and a
clamp hook feature 71 of the retaining clip is used to securely
hold the lower rail connector 76 by engaging features 77 formed on
the lower rail connector 76. FIG. 7B illustrates the retaining
clips 71 and electrically conductive busses 72 typically
encapsulated in an insulative protective coating 78. The connector
is removable and can be mounted easily through the retaining clips
71 which provide positive retention and a means of securing the
connector halves. Mated connector pairs have tab features which
captivate the clips.
FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate the architecture of the printed circuit
board used to implement the Printed Circuit Board 62 where remote
power is applied via the positive connector contact 61P and the
negative connector contact 61N. As shown in FIG. 6A, the power is
routed by the electrical traces on the Printed Circuit Board 62.
The positive current from positive connector contact 61P is routed
to the center of the Printed Circuit Board switch (for example,
63-5) where it is switched via operation of the switch 64 (shown in
FIG. 6C) to contact 63P-5, while the negative current from the
negative connector contact 61N is routed to the negative bus 62N or
negative bus contact pads (for example, 62N-3). The example shown
in these figures provided thirteen positions where a
power-consuming accessory can be attached and contact the power
contacts of the Powered Rail 24. In particular, on both FIGS. 6A
and 6B, there are thirteen positive contacts 62P-1 to 62P-13 (only
several of which are numbered on the figures to avoid clutter). In
FIG. 6A, a continuous negative bus 62N is provided as the other
power source connection. In FIG. 6B, the negative power source
connections are provided by thirteen individual negative bus
contact pads 62N-1 to 62N-13 (only several of which are numbered on
the figures to avoid clutter). On the Printed Circuit Board 60A,
there are points of attachment, typically comprising notches 64A
and 64B, which are used to secure the printed circuit board in
place in the corresponding slot of the Powered Rail 24 via a pin
clip arrangement.
The positive 62P-3, 62P-8 (for example) and negative 62N-3, 62N-8
contacts (on FIG. 6B) can be continuously powered, especially in
the case where only one set of contacts is provided, or can be
switch activated by metallic snap dome switches 63-3, 63-8 which
are placed over positive common 94 (as shown in FIG. 10) and are in
electrical contact with the accessory positive switched contact
62P-3, 62P-8. The metallic snap dome switch has a pair of
conductive contacts which are normally in the open mode; when the
cover of the metallic snap dome switch is depressed via a
projection on the exterior surface of the power-consuming accessory
which is mounted on the Powered Rail 24 juxtaposed to the metallic
snap dome switch, these contacts mate and provide an electrical
connection between positive common 94 and a positive switched
contact 62P as shown in FIG. 10. The metallic snap dome switch is a
well-known component and consists of a curved metallic dome that
spans two conductors (positive common 94 and a positive switched
contact 62P (as shown in FIG. 10) such that when the dome is
depressed, it snaps downward to electrically bridge the two
conductors. The accessory positive switched contact 62P and the
accessory common negative bus contact pad 62N are both implemented
using the Low Reflectivity Contact described below.
FIG. 6C illustrates an exploded view of the power distribution
Printed Circuit Board assembly where a non-conductive layer 65
prevents the metal weapon Rail from electrically shorting the power
distribution Printed Circuit Board 62. Spacer layer 63 is a
non-conductive element which holds the snap dome switches in place
so they do not move laterally during assembly. Metallic snap dome
switches 68 provide the electrical switching action to mounted rail
accessories. Top cover layer 65 provides environmental protection
to the Printed Circuit Board 62 and the metallic snap dome switches
64 when the aforementioned layers are assembled.
Powered Accessory Mounting
FIGS. 8A-8C are illustrations of the typical mechanical
interconnection and electrical interconnection of a power-consuming
accessory (such as flashlight 8) to the Handguard 23 and Powered
Rail 24. The perspective view of FIG. 8A shows how the Powered
Accessory Mounting 25 attaches the power-consuming accessory to the
Powered Rail 24 and consists of a rail grabber 301, spring contacts
302, spring plungers 303, and face seals 304. The spring plungers
303 depress the snap-dome switches on the Powered Rail 24, the
spring contacts 302 provide electrical contact with the fixed
electrical bus contacts 62M and 62P-* on the Powered Rail 24
Printed Circuit Board assembly, and the face seals 304 provide
environmental protection.
FIGS. 8B and 8C are cutaway end views of the interconnection of a
power-consuming accessory to the Handguard 23 and Powered Rail 24.
In particular, the power-consuming accessory and associated Powered
Accessory Mounting ACC are mechanically attached to the Handguard
23 in well-known fashion (via screw clamp SC shown here). The
Powered Accessory Mounting ACC includes a pair of spring contact
pins 82A, 82B which contact corresponding Low Reflectivity Contacts
62N and 62P which are mounted on Printed Circuit Board 60-3.
Similarly, the Powered Accessory Mounting ACC includes a spring
plunger 303 which contacts corresponding metallic snap dome switch
64 which is mounted on Printed Circuit Board 60-3.
Characteristics of Electrical Contacts and Connectors
An ideal electrical connector has a low contact resistance and high
insulation value. It is resistant to vibration, water, oil, and
pressure. It is easily mated/unmated, unambiguously preserves the
orientation of connected circuits, reliable, and carries one or
multiple circuits. Desirable properties for a connector also
include easy identification, compact size, rugged construction,
durability (capable of many connect/disconnect cycles), rapid
assembly, simple tooling, and low cost. No single electrical
connector has all of the ideal properties. The proliferation of
types of electrical connectors is a reflection of the differing
importance placed on the design factors.
From a light reflectivity standpoint, the selection of low
resistivity metals to construct the contact contradicts with the
goal of achieving low light reflectivity. In particular, gold is
highly conductive and makes an excellent choice for a contact, but
has a high light reflectivity. If coatings are applied to a gold
contact to reduce the light reflectivity, the resistivity of the
contact is increased and the coatings quickly wear off in a hostile
ambient environment where there are many connect/disconnect cycles.
Mechanically modifying the surface of the gold to reduce the flat
light reflecting plane presented to incoming visible light also
reduces the conductivity of the contact and fails to achieve
adequate reductions in light reflectivity reduction. Similar
problems are encountered with attempts to alloy gold with other
metals.
Therefore, existing methods of modifying highly conductive metal
contacts to reduce light reflectivity are ineffective.
Characteristics of the Low Reflectivity Contact
FIG. 9 is a schematic of loose mesh contact disks, plain side 90 up
and solder side 91 up, which are used to implement the Low
Reflectivity Contact; and FIG. 10 is an illustration of a Low
Reflectivity Contact 92 soldered to a Printed Circuit Board 93. The
Low Reflectivity Contact 92 consists of one Contact of a Contact
Pair and is manufactured from a suitable material, with one example
being a 400 mesh, alloy 304 Stainless Steel which is woven with a
0.001'' thick wire of cylindrical cross-section. The mesh is cut
into the desired shape, such as a circle, and one side of the mesh
is tinned with solder and soldered onto a Printed Circuit Board
(PCB) which is designed to carry power from a power source to the
electrical contacts. The other Contact of the Contact Pair consists
of a spring loaded contact pin (or lever or any other mechanism to
make mechanical contact with the Low Reflectivity Contact) to touch
the mesh surface of the Low Reflectivity Contact to provide an
electrical connection.
The selection of a wire mesh to implement the electrical contacts
is dictated by the need to provide a low light reflectivity
characteristic for the exposed electrical contacts. The need for
low light reflectivity is important in certain applications, such
as military weapons. In addition, the Low Reflectivity Contact
provides a target of dimensions which enable the mating Contact of
the Contact Pair to complete the circuit connection without the
need for precise spatial three-dimensional alignments of the two
Contacts of the Contact Pair.
FIGS. 11A and 11B are illustrations of the light reflectivity
geometry of the Low Reflectivity Contact. The Low Reflectivity
Contact typically comprises a mesh grid 1101 formed of a matrix of
electrical wires 1104 and 1105 which are interconnected to form a
matrix with apertures 1103 formed in the surface thereof.
Alternatively, the mesh grid 1101 can be formed of a sheet of
electrically conductive material with apertures 1103 formed in the
surface thereof. Incident visible light 1102 (as well as other
wavelengths of light) is dispersed by the electric wires 1104,
1105; and only a small fraction of the incident visible light
passes through the apertures 1103 of the mesh grid 1101 to the
underlying surface 1106, which is typically a conductive pad on the
surface of the Printed Circuit Board. The incident light 1107 that
passes through the apertures 1103 is reflected 1108 off surface
1106 and strikes the bottom surface of the mesh grid 1101.
Therefore, the only way the incident visible light is retransmitted
back out of the Low Reflectivity Contacts is for the reflected beam
1108 to pass through an aperture 1103. Thus, by the proper
selection of the size of the electric wires 1104, 1105, the density
of the wires in the matrix, and the spacing between the mesh grid
1101 and the underlying surface 1106, the size of the apertures and
the light reflection path can be managed to substantially eliminate
the reflection of visible light off the Low Reflectivity
Contact.
Thus, the Low Reflectivity Contact minimizes light reflectivity by
the use of a conductive mesh grid which is attached to an
underlying conductive surface. The conductive mesh grid comprises a
substantially planar structure, typically a matrix of
interconnected wires with apertures formed between the intersecting
wires, and is used to form the outer surface of the electrical
contact. The weave density, weave geometry, and wire diameter of
the conductive mesh grid maximizes the attenuation of reflected
light in the visible spectrum, yet maintains high electrical
conductivity and a lack of sensitivity to contamination via the
choice of materials used to implement the Low Reflectivity
Contact.
Weapon Accessory Control
FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate side views of two implementations of
typical Weapon Accessory Control Modules 1201, and FIG. 13
illustrates a circuit diagram of a typical Weapon Accessory Control
Circuit 1300 for use in the Weapon Accessory Control Module 1201.
The Weapon Accessory Control Module 1201 is shown in both the
horizontal (juxtaposed to and substantially parallel to the barrel
of the weapon) and vertical grip (extending in a downward direction
and substantially perpendicular to the barrel of the weapon)
designs in FIGS. 12A and 12B, respectively. The Weapon Accessory
Control Module 1201 has the ability to pass command and control
signals over the Powered Rail 24 in order to activate and
de-activate power-consuming accessories which are mounted on the
Powered Rail 24, as well as to provide power-consuming accessory
identification and status. Communications between the
power-consuming accessory and the Weapon Accessory Control Module
1201 are accomplished by impressing a modulated signal on the
conductors of the Powered Rail 24. This reduces the number of
conductors required to distribute communications and confines the
control signals to the Powered Rail 24 assembly.
As shown in FIG. 13, the Weapon Accessory Control Circuit 1300 is
one component of the power-consuming accessory control
architecture. The Battery Pack 33 contains a power source which is
interconnected to the Powered Rail 24 as described above, typically
through a short circuit protection circuit 1301. Each
power-consuming accessory 1311, 1312, as described above, is
mechanically and electrically connected to the Powered Rail 24 via
the Powered Accessory Mounting 25 and includes a control signal
transceiver 1302 to interconnect the control signals which are
impressed on the Powered Rail 24 by the Weapon Accessory Control
Circuit 1300 with accessory control electronics 1303 which control
the operation of that power-consuming accessory 1311, 1312 and the
optional DC-DC converter circuit 1304, 1305. These accessory
control electronics 1303, in combination with optional selector
switches (not shown) built into the power-consuming accessory 1311,
1312, enable the unique identification of specific power-consuming
accessories 1311, 1312. In particular, each power-consuming
accessory 1311, 1312 can be programmed to respond to a particular
control signal which is unique to that power-consuming accessory
1311, 1312, or can optionally utilize one or more selector switches
which assign a user control button identification signal which
corresponds to a desired functionality for the designated
power-consuming accessory 1311, 1312.
Furthermore, the Weapon Control Circuit 1300 is typically equipped
with a plurality of switches 1211-1214, each of which typically
controls a different power-consuming accessory 1311, 1312 via the
use of a predetermined signaling paradigm. As an example, if the
user wanted to momentarily power a target illuminator 1311, they
would hold down switch 1211, which would power the target
illuminator 1311 as long as the switch was operated. If they wanted
to maintain power to the target illuminator 1311, they would press
and release switch 1211. To turn off the target illuminator 1311,
they would press the switch again. Alternatively, different
combinations of switches could activate functions on any number of
power-consuming accessories 1311, 1312.
In order to implement this signal paradigm, each of switches
1211-1214 (and their mode of operation) would result in a uniquely
coded signal being impressed on the Powered Rail 24. The control
processor 1306 would cause signal generator 1307 to generate the
predetermined unique signal (ex--different frequency signals) which
is associated with the operated switch 1211. This unique signal
would be impressed on the Powered Rail 24 via transceiver 1308.
Since both the power-consuming accessories 1311, 1312 and the
Weapon Accessory Control Circuit 1300 are equipped with respective
transceivers 1302, 1308, bidirectional communications between the
power-consuming accessory 1311, 1312 and the Weapon Accessory
Control Circuit 1300 is possible.
SUMMARY
There has been described a Weapon Accessory Control System. It
should be understood that the particular embodiments shown in the
drawings and described within this specification are for purposes
of example and should not be construed to limit the invention,
which is described in the claims below. Further, it is evident that
those skilled in the art may make numerous uses and modifications
of the specific embodiment described without departing from the
inventive concepts. Equivalent structures and processes may be
substituted for the various structures and processes described; the
subprocesses of the inventive method may, in some instances, be
performed in a different order; or a variety of different materials
and elements may be used. Consequently, the invention is to be
construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel
combination of features present in and/or possessed by the
apparatus and methods described.
* * * * *